Community Spotlight: Ivy Bao and Houston Public Library
Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2025 with our calendar of live events, recommendations, and on-demand content!
Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people — and our work to advance cultural exchange is possible in large part thanks to the community partners with whom we've collaborated over the years. Each of these numerous organizations and individuals brings a unique background and area of expertise that, combined with their passion and generosity, help strengthen and enrich our programs, from innovative arts to energetic festivals and camps to lively panel discussions.
Through our Community Spotlights, we're excited to shine a light on some of our partners with whom we've been fortunate to collaborate over the years.
About Ivy Bao and Houston Public Library
The Houston Public Library (HPL) and its various branches have been wonderful community partners with Asia Society Texas. In our education and outreach work, we strive to make cross-cultural learning feel accessible and fun, and HPL has always supported that mission. Whether through engaging activities at our festivals or providing resources, HPL helps bring enriching experiences to our community.
While we love working with all HPL staff, we want to especially shout out the contributions of Ivy Bao, a librarian from the Freed-Montrose Neighborhood Library, for her dedication to partnering with us across different programs
How our partnership began
Our connection with HPL and Ivy Bao started in 2021 when the AST team participated in a family day event at HPL’s Central Library. There, we met Ivy after she performed an enthusiastic storytime and sang a beautiful Chinese opera song. We learned that in addition to being a librarian, Ivy is a professional opera singer who loves sharing her craft. This initial encounter led to a growing relationship with HPL’s Youth Services and Community Engagement departments, strengthening our collaboration over the years.
Since then, HPL has become a vital partner in our signature programs, including Lunar New Year, AsiaFest, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Night Market. Ivy in particular has not only helped coordinate meaningful activities but has also performed at events like Mid-Autumn Festival, bringing the beauty of Chinese opera to our audiences.
What we enjoy about partnering with Ivy and HPL
We love working with Ivy and the HPL team because they approach every event and lesson with thoughtfulness and creativity. Ivy and her colleagues are always open to innovative collaborations, whether it’s performing at our events, teaching singing to students at our summer camps, or helping to curate educational resources. HPL has also provided books for our visitors and even helped create a library corner featuring relevant books for our Yōkai: Scenes of the Supernatural in Japanese Woodblock Prints exhibition, giving visitors a chance to learn more about the art and tales of yōkai.
What Ivy and HPL enjoy about partnering with us
"At the Freed-Montrose Neighborhood Library, we’ve enjoyed working with AST to promote library services to and connect with the community. Partnering with AST has given us the opportunity to learn about different cultures in a positive and dynamic environment. We look forward to continuing this great partnership and creating an even greater impact in the community."
What we're looking forward to next!
AST is excited to continue this partnership as we develop lesson plans for our online learning platform Asia in the Classroom and welcome Ivy and other HPL staff to upcoming events such as AsiaFest. We look forward to working together on more creative and impactful initiatives that bring literature, culture, and the arts to our community!
About APAH Month at Asia Society Texas
Beginning in 2021, Asia Society Texas has celebrated Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with the Houston community and beyond through a curated calendar of events for 31 ways to celebrate over the 31 days of May. Spotlighting the traditions, talents, and contributions of Asians and Asian Americans, the calendar highlights the month's key Asia Society programming, providing a platform to showcase local artists, performers, educators, and leaders who contribute to the vibrant, multicultural tapestry of Houston while also featuring staff recommendations for our favorite music, books, movies, and more by Asian and Asian American creatives.
At Asia Society Texas, APAH Month is an opportunity to celebrate and honor Asians and Asian Americans and to uplift their stories to a broader audience as part of our goal to inspire our larger community to better understand one another through culture, conversation, and connection. For information about sponsoring APAH Month and other projects like this one, please contact Saleena Jafry at [email protected] or 713.496.9939.
Presenting Sponsor of APAH Month at Asia Society Texas
Sponsors of APAH Month
Comcast
CITGO
APAH Month 2025 Calendar
Digital Calendar Interactive/Printable PDF
Past APAH Month Calendars
2024: Highlights | Details
2023: Highlights | Details
2022: Highlights | Details
2021: Details
About Asia Society Texas
Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.
